


I know you didn’t ask for this.

by Padme4000



Series: Fictober 2019 [4]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Alcohol, Excessive Drinking, Gen, Implied/Referenced Torture, Mentions of Batman - Freeform, Mentions of the Joker - Freeform, Reader is a Mutant/Metahuman, Spoilers for end of Season 1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-11-25 22:57:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20920010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Padme4000/pseuds/Padme4000
Summary: You had been close friends with Bruce Wayne, and then you had become a prisoner of the Joker. The Bat as you now called him saved you, but you hadn’t wanted to stay in Gotham. So here you were serving drinks in a bar in Central City. Talking to a guy who you’d served a couple of times. The only name he gave you, Mick.Written for #Fictober19 on tumblr. The title is the prompt.





	I know you didn’t ask for this.

You were running so long that you thought you’d never reach your desired destination. You were running so long you didn’t think you could care for someone like you cared for him. You were running so long you didn’t you know if you could stop. But for him, you’d do anything. Even die if it meant he lived.

You were supposed to be a hero yet all you ever wanted to do was run. He didn’t even know that you knew who he was. To him you were just the person who remembered what drink he liked. To him you only knew him as Mick.

You had ran here from Gotham. The laugh following you everywhere you went. That laugh of a man who only wanted chaos. A shiver runs down your spine as you eye your suit in the room behind your closet.

You told yourself you’d live a normal life here. The Bat had even wished you luck in finding peace. Yet you had to work at a bar that he liked to visit. 

You were supposed to be a hero, yet the man you served was anything but a hero. At least when you first met him. He flirted, you didn’t. You were interested in him, yes. But you weren’t ready yet.

The Joker had messed with your head. When didn’t he? But as you got to leave that life mostly behind, the laughter began to die out.

Until someone made you laugh. Your laugh had changed. Bat told you that much. The fact you even called him the Bat showed how much the Joker influenced you. Before the Bat it had been Bruce. A very dear friend of yours. 

“You ever crack a smile?" 

You roll your eyes at the comment, trying not to react. He wanted a reaction. He just didn’t know what a comment like that would have gotten him before. But something was off about him. His usual companion wasn’t with him either. Then you saw his eyes, and your breathing almost stopped. You knew that expression. You’d seen it in the mirror. In Gotham you’d lost more than a few people you cared for. Hell, you counted your past self among them.

You handed him a shot of whiskey. ”I know you didn’t ask for this, but it’s on the house.“ That was your way of showing your condolences. No other way without explaining a few things. No other way to do it in a more comfortable manner for the man. 

The grateful but slightly stiff nod said he understood the meaning. For which you was grateful. Maybe one day he’d tell you what happened, just like maybe one day you’d wear the suit again.

It was gone pretty quickly. Getting some money out you put it in the till, and gave him the bottle. You’d seen him drink much more before. Sure you probably shouldn’t have given it to him but it was the same method you had used to grieve. If it helped numb the edge for today then so be it. If he came in again tomorrow you would try to make sure he didn’t drink too much. And the day after that and the day after that. 

“Thanks.” You smiled at his gruff gratitude. 

“No problem.” You then went on to serve some others, keeping an eye on Mick as you worked. 

And he did. Come back that is. Not every day but most days. You grew concerned for the man, and kept to the promise you made yourself of not serving him too much. 

The thing with Mick was, that he had this vibe. The one that in your previous life would have had you don your cape and stake him out. Now? It just made you curious what he was doing and why.

Then one day as you were heading home, you heard a scream. That life was behind you, but the instinct to protect was not. So without second thought you were running down the sidewalk not noticing someone had spotted your reaction and was following.

You know what they say about muscle memory? You wondered whether that included instinct. Because as you got down that alley your body went into full cape mode. Minus the cape. That thief stood no chance against you, as you twisted your body this way and that, before the shadows began to respond to you as the guy got a hit in, your eyes turning their instinctively black colour, your hair following soon after. Black veins creeping across your face as the shadows protected the victim and you went even more at the thief. 

When he was on the ground knocked out there was another instinct. To keep going. But you squashed that down, that instinct was one the Joker instilled in you. There was a flash of light and then the very man you knew protected Central City was in front of you.

You waved a hand and the shadows were gone, the victim was shaking. But otherwise unharmed. The shadows probably didn’t help but you hoped they realised you had been protecting them.

With the very thing you had avoided using for quite some time now. You were always this way, you weren’t a meta. Though they’d probably still call you that.

The Bat…. Bruce had helped you get control of that side. The Joker had wanted to use it.

The Flash was trying to gauge the situation until, “They’re with me.”

That voice you definitely recognised, you spun to find Mick. Considering you believed he was up to no good, made you wonder if him saying that was good or not. A frown pulled at your face but as you were about to speak you were interrupted.

“You’re the Shadow.” Blinking at the fan like awed voice you now spun to the Flash.

“You know who I am?”

“Well, yes I mean you’re a hero in Gotham. And you know Batman.”

A roll of the eyes, it always ended up with that line. You know Batman. “Know the Joker too but you don’t see me bragging about that.”

He winced, “I’m sorry, I didn’t realise that was a bad topic.”

You shrug, “No one does.” You glance back at Mick, “You know him?” Thumb over your shoulder indicating who you meant.

“Yeah, busted me a few times.” You laugh but wince as you do, the laugh coming to an abrupt stop. You knew both of them were giving you looks because of that. “You’re special, and the team I’m on could do with your help.”

You look at him, “Team of…?” It was Flash’s turn to laugh. You glance at him with a smile before facing Mick again. “Sorry, its just you sometimes give good guy vibe, others bad guy and then sometimes I don’t know what.”

“A team of legends.”

“Yeah that still doesn’t answer my question.”

And that day was how you became a legend, and how you began working alongside Mick Rory. Heatwave.


End file.
